Asha Bhosle delighted with maa ki daal, biryani; founded a chain in UK, Middle East

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who delighted fans with her melodies, was also a passionate cook. Her sister Lata Mangeshkar swore by the shami kebabs Asha Bhosle prepared. This is how, with her signature maa ka daal and biryani, Bhosle won hearts and ran restaurants abroad.

Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice enchanted millions for over seven decades, passed away on Sunday (April 12). While most people know her as India's melody queen, it's not known to many that Asha Bhosle was a deeply passionate cook and a food connoisseur, who delighted the film industry with her iconic dishes like maa ki daal and biriyani. Her elder sister and singing legend Lata Mangeshkar used to love the shami kebabs prepared by Asha Bhosle.

Her love for cooking and serving food was not restricted to her home. She even founded a fine-dining restaurant in Dubai, called "Asha's". The chain has since expanded to locations across the Middle East and the United Kingdom.

Asha Bhosle often spoke about her love for both the art forms, cooking and singing.

In a 2015 interview with the BBC, Bhosle said, "I love cooking as much as I love singing. Cooking comes from the heart... It should be made with love, for others to enjoy, just like singing."

ASHA BHOSLE'S MAA KI DAAL, BIRIYANI WERE BOLLYWOOD HITS

In a 2025 interview with YouTube channel, Curly Tales, Asha Bhosle revealed that the Peshawari maa ki daal was a particular favourite.

She proudly explained how she mastered the recipe and how it's different from others.

"Meri daal jo hai... Maa ki daal bolte hain na... Woh maine Peshawar ke logon se seekhi hai. Meri jo dal hai kahin nahi milti hai (My dal, which people call 'Maa ki daal', I learnt it from the people of Peshawar. My dal is not available anywhere else)," she told Curley Tales.

Asha regularly cooked massive meals for the people from the film industry, she revealed in the Curly Tales interview.

"Poori industry mein mera khana famous hai. Main har haft 60-70 log aate the. Itne bade patile mein khaana banati thi... (My food is famous in the entire industry. Every week 60-70 people would come... I used to cook in big pots)," she added.

She also recalled how she would rush home during the song recordings to feed her children. Remembering her son Anand's childhood, she shared, "Jab woh chaar-paanch saal ka tha... jab main recording se aati thi, toh woh kehta tha, 'Aai tu kya karte?' Mujhe maloom tha, inko biryani chahiye, inko mutton chicken chahiye (When he was four or five years old, when I returned from recording, he would say, 'Aai, what are you making?' I knew he wanted biryani or mutton-chicken)."

Her sister, Lata Mangeshkar, was a fan of her cooking and would often praise her cooking. "Lataji is a fan of my cooking and often tells people that no one can cook like me. I think she particularly likes my Shammi Kebabs, which she requests once in a while," Bhosle said in an interview with Cinema Journal magazine.

She learnt to make momos from actor Mala Sinha and picked up Peshawari biryani tips from Raj Kapoor. "I learnt how to cook dal makhani from the Afghan chefs at Bukhara restaurant in New Delhi, and biryani from Majrooh Sultanpuri's begum," Bhosle told Gulf News in 2021.

HOW ASHA'S LOVE FOR COOKING GAVE BIRTH TO HER OWN RESTAURANT CHAIN

This deep love for cooking inspired Asha Bhosle to open her own restaurant. In 2002, she opened Asha's in Dubai. The brand later expanded across the UAE, other GCC countries, and into the UK with outlets in Birmingham and Manchester, each serving her signature favourite dishes.

"I sing from the heart, with love for others to enjoy. I love cooking as much as I love singing. That's why I have my signature dishes at my restaurant," Bhosle told the BBC in 2015.

She also took an active role in running the restaurant chain, whether it was tweaking recipes or sharing her favourite dishes with the chefs.

"Itni khushi hoti hai mujhe ye chef coat pehen kar. Jab yeh coat pehenti hoon na, lagta hai jaise koi accha dress pehna ho (I feel so much happiness wearing this chef's coat. When I wear this coat, it feels as if I am wearing a very nice dress)," Bhosle said in the interview with Curly Tales.

Asha Bhosle represented an era of melody, versatility, and originality in music that Bollywood has never quite experienced again. Even at the peak of her legendary career, she remained a passionate home cook and a true connoisseur of food, someone who found as much fulfilment in the kitchen as she did behind the microphone.

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